Father Christmas may live in Iceland -- at least if the efficiency of his helpers is a guide -- in what may help the island's drive to win hearts and tourism from Arctic rivals claiming Santa and his reindeer.

Only Reykjavik got a reply when Reuters bureaux in all eight nations with Arctic territory wrote to Father Christmas or local gift bringers -- ranging from Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia to Julenissen in Norway -- asking: 'Where do you live?'

"Let's all be good and kind to each other," he replied in Icelandic, with a link to "www.santaworld.is" which says "from time immemorial Santa Claus has lived at Dimmuborgir," a remote area of northern Iceland.